Ken's Actions Lead to Results

*Health Care*
Ken is former Chairperson of the Community Advisory Board of the State University Health Science Center at Brooklyn ("HSC"), for which he served as a member for 18 years. Ken was the primary spokesperson for the physicians, staff, and clients of HSC and University Hospital regarding community health care issues. His support has strengthened the ongoing efforts of HSC's physicians to provide the highest quality of health care for the Brooklyn community. Consider these highlights of his distinguished service:

• Ken garnered community support to help the Dialysis Unit secure approval for an upgrade in its dialysis equipment; he also gained support for approval of a Certificate of Need Application for the replacement of HSC's Angiographic Special Procedure Unit.

• Ken testified before the Department of Social Services to secure Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for HSC's Department of Dialysis.

• As a member of the University Hospital Transplant Advisory Council, Ken played a leading role in outreach efforts to educate Brooklyn residents about organ transplants and the need for organ donations; in fact, Ken's testimony before the Health Systems Agency helped HSC's Department of Surgery gain a Certificate of Need for Liver Transplantation.

• Ken led efforts to mobilize community support for a Certificate of Need Applications to develop a Women's Health Center and AIDS Primary Care Unit at HSC.

• As Chairperson of the Community Advisory Board, Ken played a vital role in strengthening the relationship between the Kings County Hospital Center and the Health Science Center at Brooklyn; he coordinated community support for the "Memorandum of Understanding" between Kings County and HSC and served on the Joint Planning Committee.

• Ken served on the Search Committee for the Medical Director, CEO, and President of the Health Science Center and helped select HSC's first African-American President.

• Ken was instrumental in mobilizing and coordinating community support for salary increases and comparative pay for the nurses of University Hospital, thus strengthening HSC's ability to attract and retain experienced, high quality nurses.

• Ken successfully coordinated community support for HSC's Certificate of Need Application for Heart Transplantation -- this effort, along with Ken's testimony for a Cardiac Catheterization Certificate of Need before the Health Systems Agency, helped the Department of Surgery to secure certification needed to provide this vital service.

• Ken's testimony before the Health Systems Agency helped to secure an MRI Certificate of Need for the Department of Radiology and approval for a CAT Scan Certificate of Need for the Department of Radiology.

• Through Ken's successful intervention with the City's Department of Health, he secured approval of a Broad Nuclear Medicine License for HSC's Department of Radiology; this vital license had been pending for five years prior to Ken's action on HSC's behalf.

• To publicly recognize the high quality of HSC's health care professionals, Ken coordinated a special Awards Ceremony in which the Community Advisory Board honored 25 of the Center's outstanding physicians, nurses, and other exemplary professionals.

• Through Ken's leadership and communication with City and State regulatory agencies, University Hospital acquired a long-support Certificate of Need for an Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripter for the Department of Urology; this vital piece of equipment has enabled University Hospital to treat more than 500 patients with urinary stones.

• Ken organized and implemented a massive letter-writing campaign to Governor Pataki and state legislators against proposed budget cuts to the State University system; Ken solicited more than 5,000 letters from community-based organizations as well as students in public schools.